Pikachu's Lament
by Nikki-Wa
Summary: TV series style, Pikachu finds herself still alive after being drowned to near death by team rocket, but when she wakes up, she's not the same Pokemon she used to know. Now she must face a language barrier and adapting to a new body, along with trying to understand her companion, Yuki's, odd way of living, on her journey to save her brothers who could at any moment be killed!
1. Chapter 1

"Come on, we've got to get at least ten more Pikachu tails or Boss will have our heads." The Team Rocket goons stalked through the high grass wiping thick beads of sweat off of their foreheads. tiny annoying insects bit at their faces and arms as they trudged around the large field. They shifted uncomfortably under the weight of the packs they had been carrying since sun up. With the sun Dipping low and only a few usable tails in their bags, the couple felt crunched for time.

"There's one" Eddie sighed. The tiny yellow creature sniffed at a spiky looking plant before plucking it and nibbling on the ends.

"Look at the tail moron. It's a girl. Boss made it clear he only wanted the bolt shaped ones." Erin snapped throwing an angry glare at her partner as he sighed loudly. The Pikachu perked it's ears and looked around.

"Shh." Erin put her finger to her lips and shushed as quietly as she could.

Pikachu bristled then shook it off. She was sure she had heard something. "Pika" _Brother _her tiny voice broke the evening silence.

"Ka Chu?" _what's there? _ The reply came from her right. She smiled and hopped quickly towards it.

"Pi Pi Ka" _ a noise. It scared me. _ She nuzzled her big brother and handed him the prickly plant she found. _"it's yummy"_

He took it and nibbled on a piece. "Pika Pi!" he called in to the air.

"Now!" Erin yelled. Both Pikachu's,startled, looked towards her just as a net fell on the brother. He thrashed and clawed at the netting but to no avail. Panicking, he sent out a strong blast of electricity. it traveled out and away from him but suddenly shot back electrocuting him painfully.

"_Brother!"_

_"Run!" _Pikachu squeaked loudly as his tail was roughly pulled through the wires.

"Hold it tighter so he doesn't squirm." Erin instructed, pulling a large pair of sheers from a sheath on her boot. Eddie twisted the netting as thigh as he could, forcing the animal in to a tight ball.

"Don't worry little guy, it'll only hurt a lot." Erin smiled evilly as she grasped the tail in her hand. She felt at the softness of it for a moment before yanking it almost straight. Pikachu screamed as the joints in his tail cracked and dislocated.

"After we ge it should we drop it or skin it?" Eddie asked looking the pathetic thing in the face.

"ooh, I do like the striping on it." Erin replied smiling. "He'd make an excellent pair of gloves." Being extremely careful, she aligned the sheers to the very base of the tail and was about to close them when pain burst like a balloon through her body.

"Erin!" Eddie scrambled towards her as a bright flash of yellow singed the ground next to him. he turned towards the source when another flash caught his eye. The girl Pikachu tore at the twists in the net freeing her half conscious brother. She pulled him on to her back and carried him away as another jolt flew towards the Team Rockets. Erin stood and grabbed her newest invention. It was a wild animal restraint, a long sturdy pole with an adjustable loop at the was long enough to prevent any direct attacks and was electric proofed. It had been modified to sedate the Pokemon it was used on, and was extremely helpful for removing wild Pokemon that had wandered in to towns. Boss had given her a lot of praise for the creation and now every member of Team Rocket carried one.

"If the Stone netting wont hold you bastards then this sure will." She dived at the spot where the last lightning bolt had come from and saw a quick flash of fur dart in to the grass. She dashed after it breaking through on to a rocky river bank. Three Pikachus moved quickly along the rocks away from their attackers. She could easily point out the one she had captured a moment ago for it was being supported by the other two, the girl and another boy that must have been the one attacking her and Eddie. She ran after them, Eddie close behind, holding out the pole. The unwounded boy turned suddenly and blasted electricity at her making her fall back.

"Oh, you stupid little rat, are most definitely getting made in to gloves." She spit while dodging another attack. Eddie burst out of the grass suddenly and bashed into the unsuspecting Pokemon. His hand reached for the pocket on his side and, after fishing for a second, produced a brand new Ultra Ball. He slammed it down on the Pikachu's head. Bright light exploded from the ball and enveloped the stunned Pikachu. Eddie clamped the ball shut and held it as tight as he could until the center light dimmed.

He handed the ball to Erin, who smiled with triumph. The girl Pikachu gasped as her brother was sucked in to the bubble. She threw out as many sparks towards the humans as she could only to be met with a hard force busting her side. Eddie kicked her towards the water , knocking the air out of her lungs. Pikachu quickly regained her bearings and scrambled back up towards the Rockets. She bristled with electricity, every hair on her body standing on end. She tackled the one who had the pocket full of bubbles and let loose all of her power as she landed on him.

The air was burning hot and Pikachu felt herself loosing energy, but she kept the flow going for as long as she could. Suddenly something tightened around her neck and she was slung in to the air. her flow of electricity was immediately cut off as the cord dug in to her neck. Erin glared at her prisoner then sighed as Eddie stood on shaky legs. Erin had pocketed the ball and regarded the other two Pokemon.

"Eddie, get the other boy while I take care of her." She tightened the restraint cutting off the Pokemon's air supply. Eddie pulled out another Poke Ball and captured the now unconscious Pikachu.

"_Brothers! Brothers, no!" _she squealed and shrieked as the human plunged her in to the water. "_Brothers!" _Bubbles burst from her mouth and the icy water stung her flesh as she thrashed tried sending out electricity but her wet cheeks wouldn't even spark."_No, brothers...I have to save...you..." _ her mind got thick as her oxygen starved brain tried to think. She inhaled and the icy hand of death squeezed her lungs hard. She was suddenly yanked up and hanged as the humans stared at her.

"Are you gonna skin that one too?" Eddie asked almost shaking with excitement.

"Seriously? It's not even pretty enough to line shoes with." With that Pikachu was forced back in to the water and her face was pushed roughly in to the mud lining the walls of the river. Pikachu's head exploded with pain and a dull red tinge muddied the water around her. Only tiny bubbles escaped her lungs now and her eyesight was quickly fading. The noose suddenly loosened and she felt herself rising to the surface but not soon enough. Darkness flooded her head and she suddenly felt very relaxed. The water didn't hurt anymore, in fact, it was very comfortable. Pikachu blinked, seeing nothing, and finally let the darkness consume her.


	2. Chapter 2

"Pikachu. Pikachu, wake up." The distant voice echoed through her head. Two bright dots of light penetrated the unending darkness that filled her pounding head. "Pikachu, you have to get up now." the voice insisted.

"No..." she moaned weakly.

"There is still something you must do."

"I can't. I'm dead."she whispered.

"Your body was, but not your mind. Not yet. Go now and save them." the dots became two cat like eyes that opened wide. The light comming from them gleamed and soon the blinding white enveloped her. "Go."

Pikachu shot up and coughed hard. Her ribs were on fire and her head was pounding. She rose her paw to wipe her mouth and recoiled in horror. A slender human hand replaced her short fluffy paw. She went completely still as the water showed her reflection. She was no longer a Pikachu, but a young girl. Short yellow fur covered her head and her ears lay flat, blending in with two of the only long pieces of hair that fell on either side of her face. Her too-red cheeks burned.

Humans had hurt her in so many ways and now she was one? The thought filled her with rage. She splashed at the water disrupting the reflection and made her way to the dry land. She winced as pain racked through her. That human had kicked her hard, a rib might be broken. she stretched out and arched her back. Pain snapped through her making her cry out. She squeezed her eyes closed and the image of the cat like eyes flashed behind them as if seared in to her eye lids.

"_Why did you do this to me?" _She screamed at the eyes.

"_Save them..."_ the voice echoed weakly in her ears.

Pikachu pushed her hands against her head trying to smother the voice that kept echoing that same phrase over and over.

"OK!" She screamed. Her voice startled her. It was still the same as when she was a Pikachu, but she had just used a human phrase.

"Ohhh." She tested her mouth. "Kayyy?" It felt weird but also natural.

"Pika pi?" She didn't know any human words, or at least she didn't really understand a lot of them. She did understand that Humans wore clothes and she didn't have any. How was she suppose to rescue her brothers like this? Pikachu tried to stand and found herself on lanky, uneasy legs. She took half a step and fell against the rocks. They dug in to her at every angle. She began to crawl carefully towards the grass where the ground would be dirt and not cut in to her.

A rustling in the grass Startled her as a young brown haired man made his way to the water's edge a little ways from where she sat. He Knelt down and pulled one of the bubbles out of odd pockets on his pants. He said something to it then held the ball out towards the water. A bright light shone from it and a second later a Seaking was splashing happily in the river. The boy smiled and leaned down to get a drink. Pikachu, who had frozen upon hearing the rustling, darted her eyes between the grass and the boy. She took a slow breath and inched towards the grass. She flinched at her rib and snapped her head up as she realized how loud the noise she had just made was. The boy had his hands in the water but his eyes were fixed on her in shock.

His face grew red hot as he realized what he was seeing.

"Ah, Sorry!" He yelled, startling Pikachu. She Bolted towards the grass and fell face first in to the barrier.

"Ah, Hey!" he called. The sound of his foot steps drew closer as Pikachu tried to move. Her side ached and she hugged her arm around it trying to ease the pain. She got on to her knees and tried crawling through the grass but was stopped by the boy bursting through the grass in front of her.

"Pi!" she shrieked falling back. She tried to inch back but the burning in her side was unbearable now.

"Hey! Are you OK?" he asked reaching out towards her. He looked only at her face but his cheeks still burned. She hissed at him and tried to send out a shock but only got the faint feeling of static that caused the hairs on her arms to stand on end.

"Here, you're bleeding," He took a tissue out of his pocket and reached for her face. Her eyes glistened with tears and she backed away from him more.

"Hey...Are you... Afraid of me?" He asked, backing away slightly. "I wont hurt you." He crouched down slowly and held the tissue out towards her.

She regarded him through her hazy vision. He seemed kind and didnt act like he wanted to hurt her or put her in one of those bubbles. He inched towards her and instead of backing away she squeezed her eyes shut. His hand swiped across her cheek gently. A small spark jumped from her and he jumped, startled.

"You shocked me." He smiled nervously.

"Shock?" She tested the word. Her electricity was shock? "Shock" She said again.

"Yeah." He looked at her oddly. He wiped her face again and this time she leaned in to his hand. He wasn't hurting her. He smiled and blushed as she made a content cooing noise.

"Umm, do you have any clothes?" he asked suddenly awkward. He stepped out of the grass and looked along the rocks only to come up short.

"Pi?" She wasn't sure how to answer so she just shook her head.

"Where are they?" He asked.

"Pi" she shook her head again. It seemed like an acceptable answer. He looked around for a second then took off his coat and offered it to her. She pushed herself up on to her hands and kneed and sniffed at it.

"You can wear it, i'll walk you home so you can get changed." He looked any where but at her as he waited for her to take the jacket. She sniffed it for a second then snatched it away and stuck her arm through one of the holes but soon got it twisted and tangled in the fabric. She threw it aside with a huff and the boy laughed. The Seaking blubbed and spurted water out as if it too were laughing.

"Here, I'll help." he untwisted the jacket and held it up for her. Pikachu stood uneasily and shrugged on the coat. It was huge on her and hung almost to her knees. The boy buttoned it up and stepped back as she sniffed at the unfamiliar cover. Pikachu sank to her knees and smiled at the feeling of warmth the jacket bought.

"Uh, my name's Yukinari, but you can call me Yuki." He said scratching the back of his head.

"Ki?" She mimicked.

He pointed at him self and said "Yu-ki"

"Yu-ki? Yuki." She repeated it over and over. Human words were odd but she had to learn them if she wanted to find her brothers.

"Yeah, what's your name?" He asked.

_what is a name?_ she wondered. He called him self Yuki even though he is human. _That must be name_.She thought for a second. No one in her family had names. They were unimportant. She looked up at him and shook her head.

"You won't tell me?" He asked confused. She shook her head again and cocked her head. "Do you have a name?" She shook her head again and he huffed. "What should I call you then?"

"Yuki?" she said smiling.

He chuckled and shook his head. "We cant both be Yuki, it would be confusing."

Pikachu sighed and thought. She looked around but could find nothing to help her.

"Your hair looks like a Richu or a Pikachu." He said as he studied her. She nodded wildly. Pikachu! that was a human word too.

"Pikachu!" she squealed.

"Since you look like them how about Chu?"

She shook her head. She didn't think she liked being referred to as Chu.

"Umm, mouse?" he tried.

She shook her head again.

"Rika? RIchu and piKAchu? It's both names together." he smiled.

"Rika." She repeated. She liked the sound of that one. She nodded and said the name again. "Rika"

"Yeah, Yuki and Rika." He beamed.


	3. Chapter 3

"Seaking!" The Pokemon in the water bellowed suddenly.

"Oh, Rika, this is Seaking." Yuki Smiled happily. "I found him in this river not too long ago. I guess you could say he's my best friend." Pikachu, now known as Rika, carefully made her way down to the water. Her rib tenses but the pain was manageable. She crouched next to the water as the Seaking swam to the shore.

"Sea, Sea, King" _what are you? _ it asked. Rika started. Even as a human she could still speak with Pokemon! She sighed in relief.

"Pikachu." she said in her human voice. _can I touch you? _ she asked in her Pokemon way.

"Seaking." _amazing..._

Rika stood slowly and carefully made her way to the water's edge. As she reached out her hand towards the fish, Her arm hair rose and she was able to smell ozone as she reached to touch it.

"Pika?" A jolt of electricity shot from her fingers to the fish. She recoiled as her hand exploded with pain and the Seaking began thrashing about wildly.

"Hey!" Yuki yelled pushing Rika away. He ran in to the water and grabbed his friend. His eyes opened in shock when he saw what had caused the panic. A large singe mark was burned in to the SeaKing's side. "H-How did you do that?" he asked looking back at the girl.

Rika curled in to a tight ball, cradling her hand against her chest. Tears burned in her eyes as jolts of pain shot up her arm.

"Hey, what happened?" He asked kneeling beside her and putting his hand on her shoulder. A sharp burning pain traveled up his arm, throwing his backwards on to the bank. His head smashed the rocks and he went very still. Pain burst from her shoulder but she ignored it when she saw Seaking spurting water on the unconscious Yuki. She made her way to him and lifted his head away from the water. His long brown hair was damp and stuck to his face, which was pale, but his cheeks were very red.

"Pika!" _Hey!_

"Pika!"_I'm sorry!_

"Pika Pi!"_wake up!_

"Pika!" _Please!_

She looked around and saw the Seaking nudging Yuki's hand.

_Help him! I don't know what to do! _She squeaked and Pika'd fervently at the water Pokemon.

_we need to get him to town! _Seaking replied splashing back in to the water.

_is that where there are people? _She asked. The Seaking ignored her and instead began swimming up stream.

_follow me. _He demanded.

She took a step, and then another and was soon running forward but stopped and looked back at Yuki.

"Hey!" She called, _We cant just leave him!_

Seaking stopped and swam back to her, annoyed. She bounced back to him and hooked her arms underneath Yuki's and tried to lift him. Pain burned through her side so intensely she cried out and fell to her knees. she grunted in frustration and hit the ground. _I cant do anything in this body! _

_We must get him to people Pikachu, humans don't last as long as Pokemon do when they are hurt. _Seaking seemed to be panicking but Rika didn't know what to do.

_I can't lift him, but we cannot leave him, here! _She cried.

_Get his belt, the thing on his waist, and get a Pokeball. Find Charizard, she can help us. _

"Pokeball?" she looked at the belt and saw the small bubbles hanging off small nest shaped clips. She fiddled with the clip but after a moment wrestled the belt from his waist and studdied the clips. The Pokeballs sat in a neat row all around the belt, interrupted only by large pockets on either side of the Fastener.

She hesitated for only a second before grabbing one. "Pokeball?" She held it out to the Seaking who nodded. Looking it over she made a face. The ball was no bigger than a berry and it shone in the evening light. A tiny silver button sat in the middle of the ball. Using her index finger, Rika pressed the button and jumped as the ball grew to fill her entire hand. She still couldn't see how a whole Pokemon could fit in such a small space.

She pressed the button again and shrieked as the ball shot out of her hand. A blindingly bright light exploded from it forcing Rika to shield her eyes. She blinked as the light died down and gasped as she saw the small Nidoran staring at her.

_who are you? Where's master? Seaking! what's happening? _he shot a sideways glance at the fish Pokemon and bristled at the girl.

_That was the wrong one Pikachu, Hurry! _

_I'm sorry, there are so many! _She grabbed another ball and poked the button, throwing it before it could explode. A Pidgey Shrilled and pecked at the ground. She pulled a third ball then a forth and finally found the Charzard.

_Get back in your balls,_ Seaking instructed the other Pokemon, we_ need to move fast! _

The balls that littered the ground began to glow as the Pokemon were sucked back in to them. Rika stared in a mix of horror and amazement at she watched it all happen. The balls returned to their berry sized shape and Seaking instructed to Rika to pick them up as he explained the situation to Charizard. She clipped them in to the belt and strapped it on her self as Charzard picked up Yuki.

_Fly ahead, we'll catch up. _Seaking Instructed. The Charizard nodded and lifted it's self high in to the air before flying off with Yuki in it's arms.

Rika wrapped the belt around her self twice and tightened it. She nodded to the Seaking and both made their way after their friend.

Charizard landed in front of the PokeCenter and made it's way through the doors. Nurse Joy jumped as the creature entered the room but quickly realized what it was doing. Pushing the button on her earpiece she requested a gurney and the assistance of a human doctor.

"Good girl Charizard." Nurse Joy smiled and patted the Pokemon as Yuki was laid on a table. "We'll take good care of your Trainer." Charizard snuffed and looked back at the door as Rika burst in.

"Yuki?" She ran towards the Charizard and the nurse and looked down at Yuki.

"Yuki Yuki!" she cried. She looked desperately at the nurse who smiled gently. "He'll be better in no time." Two large metal doors swung open and Rika cried out as Yuki was rolled through them.

_Where is Seaking? _Charizard asked stopping Rika from running towards the doors.

She grabbed the ball closest to her right hand and held it up. _He told me to put him in here. _

_Good, wait for Master to come out. come and sit. _Charizard led her to a bench along the wall and pointed to one of the pockets on the belt. _Did you pick up my ball? __  
_

_oh no, it's still there. _Rika said looking towards the door.

_No matter, press the button of an empty ball so I can rest. Humans are much heavier than they appear. _

Rika opened the pocket and saw it was full of the tiny Pokeballs. _Do you really live in this? _She asked rolling it awkwardly between her fingers.

_I mostly sleep when I am in there, but yes, it is my home. _

Rika nodded and held the ball up. The movement caused the pain in her side again and she winced hard.

"Excuse me miss," A Nurse Joy came up behind her and touched her shoulder, "Are you in pain?"

Pain? She reconized that word. Rika nodded and grabbed her side.

"Your rib?" Nurse Joy gently touched the sore spot then nodded. "I have just what you need." She walked to behind her desk and came back with a small bag. "Mix this in your drink and you'll feel good as new."

"Pika." Rika nodded and accepted the pouch.

_What do I do with it? _She asked Charizard.

_Did you not understand her? You drink it. _

_I don't speak human. _Rika blushed.

_But you are human. _

_I am Pikachu in a human body. I do not know how, but I do know my duty is to save my brothers. _

Charizard nodded and looked over the child. _I see. well, i don't know as much as Seaking, but i can tell you when you are handed something you say Thank You. _

"Th-?"

_Th-A-unk- Yoo_

"Thank you?" Rika said it a couple times remembering it. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." She waved to Nurse Joy behind the counter and called "Thank you!" loudly. The nurse smiled and continued on with her work.

_You learn fast. That's good. _


	4. Chapter 4

The waiting room began to fill with light as Rika opened her eyes. Large windows surrounding the room gave her a perfect view of the sunrise. She smiled and stretched causing an empty Styrofoam cup that had held the medicine tea to tip over. She winced but no pain came. Rika gently touched her side and sighed in relief as she found it was no longer sore.

"Good morning, I believe your friend is still sleeping but he is much better." Nurse Joy smiled and handed her a glass of tea.

"Thank you." Rika smiled and looked out the windows. Good Yuki was better. Maybe she could convince him to help her? She yawned and took a sip of the bitter drink. Warmth radiated through her and she felt more awake as the sun rose higher and she drained the glass. She went through the words Charizard had taught her trying to remember how to use them.

"Yes." was when something was right."No." was when it was wrong. "Thank you" when she was given something, "No thank you." when she didn't want it. "Brothers." was her family. "Help." when she needed something. there were others but she couldn't quite remember them.

_oh well, that should be enough... I can ask Seaking or Charizard if I have trouble. _

"You're still here?" Yuki's voice startled her as he was suddenly standing near her shrugging on a bag she hadn't noticed before. A large bandage was strapped to the side of his head over his wound but it didn't look like there was any blood on it. He picked his belt up off of the floor and looped it on as Rika looked for a place to set the glass.

"Yes." she smiled. Yuki flinched as she extended her hand towards him. Rika stood and hesitantly touched his face. No shock emitted from her hand. She sighed happily then began to walk towards the door.

"Hey, wait don't go home yet, i'm going to want my jacket back." He turned to the counter and addressed the nurse. "How much for the treatment?"

"Oh, i would never charge a trainer who's Pokemon love him so much. You must be very special for your Charizard to bring you in." She smiled brightly and waved as he turned.

"Well thank you very much." he smiled back and turned back to Rika who was stepping in and out of the range of the automatic doors. He shook his head and walked through them. "Coming?" he asked over his shoulder. she nodded and bounded through the door.

They walked along quietly for a moment then Yuki asked, "What happened? i remember grabbing your shoulder, then it's all blank." She shrugged and kept walking not exactly sure of what he was saying. the same thought kept filling her head. _If I focus hard enough and keep calm I don't shock. Shocking hurts so i have to be careful. _

Yuki shook his head trying to remember but it was all a blur. Maybe he had gone too long without sleep and passed out? Perhaps he had just lose his balance? The nurse had said he hit his head and was soaking wet, and that Charizard had carried him in. He sighed not remembering a single thing and looked down at the young girl walking along beside him

"So, where is your house?"

"House?" Rika mimicked.

"Yeah, where you live, is it near here?" He eyed her suspiciously as she stared wide eyed at the buildings surrounding them. There was seriously something up with this girl.

"Grass." She said looking out in to a field between some houses.

"Almost all houses are built on grass." Yuki said, Stretching his back. "Which one?"

Rika's ears twitched. She wasn't sure how to answer that. She stopped and rubbed her legs as the early Autumn wind picked up around them.

"What, are you cold?" he asked stopping just in front of her.

"Yes." She tried pulling the jacket down her her kneed but she only managed to pull it off of her shoulders.

Yuki chuckled at her and pulled the sleeves back up on to her shoulders. "Yeah, me too. I figure when we get you home your family can get you dressed, or at least get you some pants." He chuckled again and put his hands in his pockets.

Rika's ears twitched again when he said family. Yuki had started walking again and Rika beamed as she fell in to step beside him. "Brothers." she cooed.

Yuki looked down at her and jumped, not expecting anything to be in his face. he pushed aside the fuzzy black tipped ear and smiled. "Where'd you get the toy ears?"he reached to playfully tug them off her head but felt a small jolt of panic when she yelped. She rubbed her head and looked at him with an annoyed expression.

"What the?" Yuki grabbed her head and parted her hair where the headband should be. A sick feeling boiled in the pit of his stomach as he took a step back.

"Th-the ears..." He stammered.

Rika cocked her head and twitched her ears.

Yuki went pale. "The- They're real?" He looked around at people walking by them and panicked. "Uh, Ah, Put them down!" he petted the ears flat so they lay like the rest of her hair and looked to see if anyone had noticed.

"What the hell are you?" he asked still holding her ears down.

"Pi?" Rika didn't understand most of what Yuki had said and had no idea how to respond.

"Pi? What is Pi?" he asked. He began pacing in front of her.

"Ka?" she reached towards him but flinched as he stopped suddenly.

Realization hit him like a rock. Yuki looked at the discolored stripes along the back of her legs and her too blonde hair that ended in black tips, her forever blushing cheeks. Her inability to speak, the odd noises she made and the way she looked at every thing as if it were the first time...

He began pacing again and ran his hands over his eyes and through his hair.

"There is no way." He mumbled. He slapped his cheeks and blinked hard a couple times willing himself to wake up.

"Yuki?" Rika touched his arm and he recoiled then looked down at her.

"You're a Pikachu?" He asked, quietly, through gritted teeth, still not believing that it wasn't all a dream.

She recognized that word!

"PikaChu!" she chirped happily.

"Oh man. Oh man oh man oh man." Yuki massaged his temples and took a deep breath trying to rationalize it any way he could. "How?" he took another deep breath and let it out slowly before letting his eyes fix on hers. She shrugged and mimicked "How. How."

"You don't even know!" he grunted in exasperation and spun away from her. Rika shifted uncomfortably. She had almost no idea what he was saying and he seemed really upset.

"Charizard?"

"What?" He turned back and looked down as she pointed at his pocket.

"Charizard help?"

"How will she help?" he asked popping the ball from it's holder. The small ring around the button pulsed as the Pokemon inside anticipated being let out. "Help us out Charizard." he was unsure as the light exploded from the ball, but Rika was already saying more than she had the previous night. Maybe the Pokemon did help her?

_I told you Seaking knows more than me. Why must I be bothered? _Charizard grunted and swung her long neck as if stretching.

"Yukinari." Rika pointed.

_What about him?_

_help me figure out what he is saying. _She insisted.

_what is he saying? _

"How? why?" Rika said.

"Are you two having a conversation?" Yuki asked.

_how what? _

_Am i a human, how am i a human?_

_Do you know?_

_I don't... i remember feeling death's hand then waking up like this. I was told to rescue my brothers. _

_ By whom?_

Rika shrugged.

_then say 'I don't know, how' _

"I Don't know how." She repeated in her human voice.

"How is she teaching you to talk if you two are only grunting at one another?" Yuki asked perplexed. He was becoming more and more intrigued by the second.

_I understand you. _Charizard said sadly.

"Understands." Rika said to Yuki. "Charizard understands."

_How do I ask him to save my brothers?_

_I've taught you that already. _She said as she turned towards Yuki. He petted her neck and she nuzzled him as Rika asked.

"Help brothers?" _Is that right?  
_

_hmm_ Charzard nodded as she happily ruffled Yuki's long hair with her snout.

"Please?" She continued.

"Your brothers? Is that why you are like this? Because your brothers are in danger?"

"Yes!" Rika smiled and grabbed his arm but let go quickly, remembering how he had flinched away from her a moment ago.

A quick flash of pity filled his vision but was soon gone as he asked. "You're just as confused as i am... Do you remember what happened?"

_where are they? _Charizard asked.

_A human man and woman took them. They were hunting for our tails._

_It sounds like the Rockets._

"Rockets?"

"What are you two chattering about? Yuki asked standing uncomfortably.

"Rockets took brothers." Rika said. Tears filled her eyes but she blinked them away. "Please help?"

"What can I do? We can't even hardly communicate." He looked almost distressed as he said it, but he knew it would be a lost cause. "The Rockets have a thousand hide outs, there's no way we could even find them."

_Try! _Charizard growled, startling Yuki.

"Try?" Rika repeated. The words were coming more easily to her the more she used them. Human was easy once you heard it enough.

Yuki ran his hand through his hair again and sighed. Both Charizard and Rika looked at him with pleading eyes that were impossible for any one to say no to. "Alright. First things first though." he said playfully pushing Charizard's face away from his own.

"Pika?"

"We need to get you some clothes."


	5. Chapter 5

They roamed the stores and shops for a while. Yuki had never bought clothes for anyone other than himself and didnt even know where to start with this girl.

"Do you know your size, or favorite color?" He tried asking.

"Color?" Rika asked.

"Umm, yeah, like..." He looked around hoping to see something that would help him explain. Coming up short, he just pointed to things. "The grass, it's green. And the sky, it's blue. Those are colors." he drooped a little at her confused expression but when she grabbed his shirt and said, "Color?"

"My shirt? It's green." he smiled. He had actually taught her something.

"No, the grass is green." She insisted.

"Yeah, but this is green too. It's a different shade of green." in all honesty it was closer to teal or even blue but to him it was pretty green.

"Different shade?" She said it quietly as if thinking hard about it.

"Yeah, there are lots of shades of every color. My favorites are the shades of green."

"Your favorite color?" She said. He was surprised she had made the connection so fast.

"Yeah, I guess green is my favorite color."

Yuki saw a mother and daughter walk in to a girly looking store and smiled. "I bet we can find you clothes there." He pointed and began walking towards the brightly decorated storefront. Going inside was like being smacked with a giant ball of perfume. Frilly and glitter covered shirts and dressed covered the walls and an odd song played over the speakers.

"Pika" Rika grunted softly.

"A little overwhelming isn't it?" Yuki laughed nervously and walked along the isle with Rika tailing close behind.

"Can I help you find anything sir?" Yuki jumped as an employee with too much makeup on blocked his path.

"Uh, no, just browsing I think." He said nervously.

"The clothing in your size would be over there." She smiled forcefully pointing towards the far wall.

Yuki stifled a laugh as he pulled Rika out from behind him. "I'm actually buying for her."

"Oh, goodness, I'm so sorry." he couldn't tell if she was blushing but she was acting as if she was. "Hello sweety, do you see anything you like?"

Rika flinched as the person got too close. Her bright hair and overly made-up eyes made Rika feel nervous. Instead of answering she looked around and shook her head.

"Oh dear. Hmm, well, what is your favorite color?" The woman asked, still too close for comfort.

"Green." Rika smiled looking up at Yuki. "Yuki's favorite is Green."

"Rika, just because it's my favorite-"

"Oh we have a whole line of green things!" The woman clapped. She led them through the store and stopped at a door marked "Over Stock"The lady opened it and pulled out a wheeled rack filled with a variety of green shirts and dresses. "Do any of these interest you?" She asked stepping back.

"If you don't mind, we'll just look for a moment." Yuki said in a slightly firmer tone. Rika touched the fabrics while the lady smiled her forced smile and left them. She grabbed a long sleeved leaf green shirt and pulled it off the hanger.

"What do you like that one?" Yuki asked grabbing it from her. It looked like it would fit but he wasn't sure. "Lets find a couple more and some pants so we can get going." He said.

"Pants?" She smiled. Yuki pointed at his pants and then at her legs.

"Yeah, they keep your legs warm." he draped the shirt over his arm and looked through the rack. He noticed Rika was moving away from him and turned to catch up with her.

Rika stared in awe at the bright yellow sweater dress that hung in front of her. it was displayed with a pair of black tights and a black backpack.

"Favorite color." She said as Yuki stood beside her.

He chuckled and grabbed a copy of the dress that was hanging. "I guess it makes sense for a Pikachu to love yellow."

"Yellow. Yellow is Rika's favorite color?" She said fingering the fabric.

"yeah, but you say, "It's _my_ favorite."

"My favorite?" she tried.

"Yeah, you've got it." Yuki smiled and picked up a pair of the tights neatly folded on the table infront of the display.

"Do you like these too?" he asked.

"Pi" she nodded.

They browsed around not really finding anything more, and when he finally had a small arm full of different tops and bottoms and, he blushed, underwear, they made their way to the dressing room. It took a few tries to get the sizes right but, with the outfits picked and paid for, they were finally able to leave. Yuki pulled the tags off the slim black back pack Rika had found and rolled up the clothes, putting them inside it.

"Here, even if you are a little girl, you're gonna have to carry your own weight." He said helping her shrug on the bag.

"I got you this too, so it doesn't matter if your ears are up." he reached in the shopping bag and pulled out a black head band and putting it on her head. "They'll look like fake ears."

"Pi?" she grabbed at it not liking the way it squeezed her scalp.

"You don't like it?" He asked.

She readjusted it and stuck her ears up the band rubbed them a little but Yuki looked like he really wanted her to wear it. Rika twitched her ears happily and held the straps of the pack.

"Good, it looks good on you." He smiled, blushing slightly, and pitched the now empty bag in a garbage bin along the road. He looked doubtfully at her bare feet.

"Eventually we need to find you shoes." he said.

"No." she shook her head. The weird things humans wore on their feet made her uncomfortable. They pinched and rubbed her ankles and she couldn't feel the ground with them on.

"A lot of places won't let you in without shoes." Yuki insisted. Rika just shrugged. Yuki sighed and looked up. "Oh yeah, come on!" he grabbed her hand and led her to a store that was less overwhelming than the clothes store. Belts and bags lined the walls and there were glass cases full of Pokeballs and drink mixed like what the nurse had given her and other things Rika didn't recognize.

"This is a supply store, The Poke-Mart. I need more Pokeballs and you need a belt." Yuki explained.

"Supplies." She smiled.

Yuki talked to the man behind the counter, trading things and buying what he couldn't trade for. He picked a belt for Rika with four large pockets and only a few Pokeball clips.

"I don't know how you feel about catching Pokemon, being one and all, but I figure you can carry the medicines or something." Yuki smiled as he filled the pockets with different drinks and powders. He filled his own bag and pockets with balls and food before saying his thanks and goodbyes.

"Brothers?" Rika asked adjusting the belt around her waist.

"Yeah, now that we're all stocked up we can start asking around." He looked around to see if there was anyone who could possibly know where the closest Rocket hide out was.

"I don't like the Rockets." a little girl told them. "I don't even try to pay them any attention.

"This town is so big, any one could be any one." A passing man told them.

"Rockets in this town? Pish-posh, this is a nice community."

A lot of people were saying the same thing over and over. Yuki sighed. At this rate he was never going to get back to his quest. He looked at Rika who was talking to an elderly lady just a few yards away from him.

"I saw a couple, a man and woman, get in to a van. They looked very suspicious." the woman said.

"That's perfect!" Yuki exclaimed, finally happy to get a lead. "Do you know which way they went?"

"I think north, but my mind isn't as sharp as it used to be ya know." She said apologetically.

"No, that's fine, anything to help us find them is good information." Yuki smiled brightly. Good, the north is the direction he was heading any way. He had taken the detour to his home town for sentimental reasons. His shoulders slouched with the weight of the responsibility he had suddenly taken on. This random, impossible girl was his responsibility now. She was old enough looking to care for her self, she had to be at least sixteen, not far off from Yuki's nineteen but she acted so much younger, so much more vulnerable than any teenager he'd ever met before.

"Come on Rika, I want to be closer to the edge of town before nightfall." Yuki wasn't sure why but he felt it was his responsibility to make sure Rika stayed safe and got her brothers back. It was true that she had helped in saving his life, but it was her strange power that had injured him in the first place. He touched the bandage on his head and winced. The skin was still scraped and tender, but at least the pain had stopped. Rika bounded up behind him, walking with bouncy steps as they headed on a road leading towards the northern part of town.

* * *

**Sorry, still not a whole lot happening! I promise this slow down is temporary! Agh! These last chapters have been so boring and the next couple might be as well, but I promise I have something wonderful in store to pick it back up again! Have faith in me! **


	6. Chapter 6

Yuki looked around eagerly as they made their way out of town and towards the fields that seperated the cities. He took in the smell of the open air and the woodsy smell from the trees bordering the fields.

"There has to be some new ones around here." he said happily, shielding his eyes from the sun. Pidgey flew ahead of them and scouted the area. He swiped one way then another as if looking for something.

_What are they doing?_ she wondered. "New ones?" she asked mimicking.

"Yeah, there are usually a bunch in big grass fields like this. There's usually more in taller grass or caves, but i was hoping we'd at least see a couple." he huffed and looked up at the bird Pokemon. It seemed like Yuki was half talking to himself but Rika couldn't make any sense of what he was talking about.

She walked along a bit behind Yuki and looked over the bushes and plants growing up from the ground. She smiled up at the sun, enjoying the warmth of it on her skin and the feel of the cool grass on her feet. Bending down, Rika plucked a berry off of a small plant and popped it in her mouth. The sweet juice coated her tongue and made her mouth water. She filled Yuki's coat pocket with them and rushed to catch up with her companion.

Yuki stood in the middle of the field shielding his eyes from the early afternoon sun. He held out his arm and Pidgey landed softly on his hand. He nuzzled the bird and fed it something out of a pocket on his belt and then launched the Pokemon high in to the sky.

Rika jumped as something suddenly hit her leg. Turning, she saw a long string of web stuck to her calf. She followed the line up in to a tree and saw a Caterpie high in the branches with a string of cocooning silk hanging from its mouth.

"Yuki!" she grunted, pulling at the web. She tugged and pulled but found her self more and more stuck. Yuki looked back at her and laughed as she struggled to un-stick herself. Twigs and leaves stuck to the girl as the Caterpie spit more silk out on to her.

"I've got it Rika." Yuki popped the button on his belt and pulled out a ball. A second later, Seaking began flopping around before regaining it's whits amd steadying its self. Yuki pointed and the Seaking blasted the catterpiller Pokemon with a jet of water. It fell from the tree and flopped around, stunned for a second, before turning and shooting a web at the fish. Seaking shot another jet of water and dodged the string attack. Pidgey swooped overhead and dived at the Caterpie as it worked it's way back to the tree. Pidgey hit it full force, knocking it back a few feet.

"Good boy Pidgey!" Yuki ran closer to the fight and pulled out an empty ball. He aimed it at the wounded Pokemon and said, "Sorry little guy, I'll heal ya at the next center."

Seaking sprayed down Rika, melting the web off of her, but panicked as Rika dashed at Yuki.

"No!" She screamed, knocking the ball from Yuki's hand. "Stop Stop!"

"What the hell?" He jerked his arm away from her and reached for another ball. The Caterpie shot silk at him but Pidgey flew in to it so it didnt hit Yuki.

_Leave me alone! _The Caterpie demanded, getting back on to it's feet. Even for a small bug, it had a demanding aura about it that made Rika nervous.

_I'm sorry! _ Rika ran to it and covered the caterpillar, blocking it from Yuki's Pokeball.

"Rika! What are you doing? I'm trying to catch it!" Rika flinched as the frightened bug bit her. Yuki walked with purpose and pulled her out of the way and hit the button on the ball. The light came out and enveloped the bug. Rika tried to snatch the ball from his hand but he held it just out of her reach.

"Yuki, No!" She grunted, jumping for it. The ball shook and jreked in his hand, making it tough to hold. She jumped for it again but he pulled it out of her way, looking releaved as the ring around the button dimmed.

"Rika, i'm not hurting him, see?" Yuki took a step back from her and held the ball out. The Caterpie formed on the grass and stood obediently as if awaiting an order.

_He let you out! Run while you can! _Rika pikaed frantically.

_Why would i run from master? _The Caterpie stared at her with bright joy filled eyes, leaving her dumbfounded. Yuki patted the bug on the head and pulled his bag off of his back. He pulled out a notebook and set to work on a rough sketch of the Pokemon and took a foot print. He stood and made a few simple demands "String shot, Tackle, Leer" some of which the Caterpie did and others that it just stood looking confused.

After he scribbled down a few more notes, he leaned down and lifted it, checking its weight. "Some where around 6 pounds... I'll have to weigh and mesure you at the next Poke Center." He mumbled under his breath. "A quick guess should be good for now though." He shoved the notebook in the bag and stood, shouldering th pack and returning the Caterpie to his ball.

"What?" Rika was seriously confused.

Yuki looked at her and smiled. "I'm gathering information on Pokemon. I'm hoping to one day make an entire guide on them." He explained.

"Guide?" Rika cocked her head. She had seen another picture of a Pokemon as he was flipping through the pages, but she couldn't read anything it had said.

"Yeah, to help other trainers understand things about their Pokemon, or learn more about the Pokemon they come across."

She thought for a moment. "To understand Pokemon..." OK, that made sense but why hadn't Caterpie run? He didn't want to be in the ball and then suddenly he didn't care. In fact, he almost seemed happy.

She pulled an empty ball from the pocket on the coat and studdied it for a moment. "Caterpie no run?" She tried.

"What do you mean? Why would he?" Yuki asked.

she searched her brain for other words but couldnt think of how to say it. "He run, then no run Pokeball" man did that make any sense? She rubbed her head and tried again. "Scared? Caterpie scared then Pokeball. Caterpie no scared. Why?"

Yuki's eyes lit up with understanding. "Oh! ok, 'why didn't he run away after I caught him?'" Rika nodded.

_Yuki caught Caterpie in the Pokeball. _She thought to her self. _Pokeballs catch Pokemon._

"When a trainer catches a Pokemon, that Pokemon becomes reliant on them. It's a bond that is never truly broken until the Pokemon dies." He smiled as she nodded. Good she was understanding him more. "A lot of people don't understand the seriousness of that bond and end up catching any Pokemon they see and neglecting the ones they have. It's not good for the Pokemon because they don't get the interaction to fulfill the need that comes with that bond." He stopped again and made sure Rika was keeping up. She looked slightly confused but after a moment of thought, nodded again, signaling him to go on. "I hope some day to make a complete guide, like I've explained, and train kids on the proper care of their Pokemon so that hopefully the number of Team Rockets and Pokemon hoarders will deplete and eventually vanish so that humans and Pokemon can coexist happily."

Rika nodded. That was a lot of information to take in but she thought she understood the gist of it. She stood quietly, letting it all soak in for a moment. "They don't hurt?" she said slowly.

"In the Pokeballs? No, not at all. They live in... well i guess... from what I've studied, it is like a dreamscape, but the Pokemon is completely conscious, though they are resting. It's somewhat hard to explain, but the world inside of the ball is like a playground for Pokemon. They can pretty much do anything they want while there." He stopped and took a deep breath. He always got excited when talking about Poke-Science. He had been studying the creatures since he had bee old enough to read. One day he was going to be the first Pokemon Master!

Seaking made a noise, drawing Yuki out of his thoughts. The fish blubbed happily, looking rather pleased with him self at the soaking wet bird lying half concious next to him.

"Hey, man I told you two to get along." Yuki chuckled and returned the Seaking to his ball. Rika picked up the Pidgey and patted its head.

_Here. _ She fished some of the berries out of her pocket and let the Pidgey have them before Yuki called it's attention. Pidgey landed on his arm and fluffed it's fethers as he sprayed it down with a potion. "Still have it in ya to go on?" he asked the bird.

"Piii!" It chirped, fluffing it's self up again. Yuki smiled and flung his arm up, launching the bird up in to the air.

"Atta boy!" Yuki called, Looking after Pidgey's shadow as it crossed the field. He glanced back over his shoulder at the amazed Rika staring in to the sky. Her black eyes, lit to an almost darkened ruby in the afternoon sun, shone in wonder as the Pidgey circled the area.

"Come on Rika, it looks like he found something else!" Yuki called to her before he started jogging towards the spot Pidgey circled.

Rika took a step then turned as a twig cracked behind her. A tiny Caterpie wiggled in the grass before turning and disappearing in the tall blades.

Rika's heart panged. He had family. The Caterpie had a family that would never see him again. She caught up to Yuki and stopped him by grabbing his shirt. He turned around and flinched as he saw her eyes misting.

"Whats wrong Rika?" he asked. Worry deepened his already dark green eyes as he stared in to hers, awaiting an answer.

"Family. Caterpie family. They... miss Caterpie?" She ran he hand along her eyes. Was Yuki just as bad as the people who had taken her brothers? No, there was no way.

"Pokemon that are with trainers live longer than the ones that stay in the wild their whole lives..." he stopped and thought for a moment. "I'd like to think that the family is happy that they are off to live a long happy life." He smiled at his answer and grabbed Rika's hand.

"Happy?" She knew the word but wasn't sure if it was right. She wasn't happy that her brothers were gone. She was worried and felt like crying, even when she smiled. She missed them. But then again, she did have older siblings that had gone off on their own, so maybe it would be a good thing if they got caught by someone kind like Yuki?

"Come on, Pidgey is moving towards the woods fast, we don't want to loose what ever he's tailing." Yuki pulled her along towards where Pidgey was still circling, closer to the ground now. Her ears twitches and she smiled as Yuki's eyes lit up. This was the first time she had seen him truly excited and not embarrassed or angry or just indifferent since they met. She grinned and sprinted forward as fast as she could, pulling Yuki along, smiling all the way.


	7. Chapter 7

Her leg was sore from the bite, making her want to limp as she ran. Ignoring the pain, Rika dashed ahead and looked back at her smiling companion. Stopping, she shifted her weight to her good leg. the bite throbbed but she had been bitten by lots of things before so she knew it would stop eventually.

If she were still a Pokemon, however, Rika knew that she could get one of her brothers to carry her until the pain stopped. She looked at Yuki as he ran past and waved at the Pidgey circling an Ekens that was carting a Rattata sized lump in its belly through the grass. She smiled as the bird landed on his arm then nodded before casting up small tornadoes around the snake.  
_Perhaps I could have my own Pokemon friend like Yuki?_ She thought to her self. Yuki seemed to love his friends and they him. They provided him with solace and helped him in times of trouble. She longed for that on some level, but she just didn't feel right about putting the creatures in the little berry sized homes. Rika sighed at her indecision and stood back as Yuki Pulled out an empty ball.  
Things went on like that for a while, Yuki finding, fighting, capturing and documenting the different Pokemon. She noticed he would even catch the same species but different genders or colors and write them down as a whole new entry. By the time they had stopped for the night and Yuki had set up his tent, she was so exhausted that she fell in to a deep dream crazed sleep before her eyes had fully closed.

* * *

Yuki woke with a start. His side hurt and looking down, he saw Rika's hand cluching his shirt. Her face was momentarily contorted in pain and he jumped as he received a small shock. Her face softened as dim morning light began warming the small space they shared. Yuki pulled the blanket up over Rika's bare shoulder as she shivered. He blushed and chuckled lightly remembering the tantrum she had thrown when he tried to get her to at least put a shirt on to sleep. She had refused and curled up like a kitten under the blankets and was asleep before he could argue anymore. He turned to face her and pushed her hair out of her face. Her ears were down but they twitched slightly as she dreamed. He studied her face and frowned when he saw her flinch before another look of pain furrowed her eyebrows.  
"Rika?" Yuki cooed her name softly, not wanting to startle her out of sleep. Concerned about the looks of pain on her delicate face, he gently stroked her hair, hoping to calm what ever nightmare she may be having. Her ears shot up, throwing chunks of hair over her cheek and when Yuki went to move them he gasped. Her face was pale and her cheeks were brighter than usual. When his fingers brushed her forehead, he gasped. She was burning up.  
"Rika?" he shook her softly. "Rika wake up." he shook her harder but still she wouldn't open her eyes. Panic griped at his heart as he noted all of her symptoms. "Oh no." He scrambled for his belt and pulled open the pockets. "Oh man, please no!" he dug through the medicine pouch on his belt then Rika's, and finally dumped out his backpack hoping to find an antidote. " . ! When did you even get sick?" he mumbled, looking at the different labels on the bottles that scattered. Yuki tried to think back. The only time Rika had come in to direct contact with a poisonous Pokemon was Catterpie. He murmured a curse under his breath. She had been fine yesterday! Why would she just now be showing signs of poison!?  
He raked his hand through his hair and began packing the stuff back in the belt and grabbed his coat that Rika had discarded in the corner of the tent the night before. he slipped it on and noticed one pocket was heavier than the others. He reached in and pulled out a small handful of berries. "Dammit!" he threw them on the ground and scooped up Rika, wrapping the blanket around her. He worked his way out of the tent and started running full force but cried out and fell to his knees as Rika let out another wave of electricity.  
"Gah! How am I going to get anywhere like this?" He looked down at the girl in his arms. She was panting now and she had broken out in a sweat. Small bursts of electricity came at regular intervals and were beginning to make Yuki's arms feel numb.

Carefully sitting her down, he stood and looked in to the distance either way. He could see the dim sillouhette of the city they had just come from in the distance . It wasn't that far away, but... His hand brushed his belt and an idea struck him.

"You're still part Pokemon right?" Flicking open the pocket he pulled out an empty ball, pressed the button to enlarge it, and pointed it at the girl.


End file.
